Bronx Head Start Program Honors New "Author"

Bronx, NY,NY, November 14th, 2007- Aminata Sillah, a 10-year-old, was honored at an event at 1125 Grand Concourse, in the Andrew Freeman Home, now the home of senior services and the Family Preservation Center. She wrote a short book that was published and also printed in multiple copies for the Headstart Center, a government program for 3 and 4 year olds. Aminata is a fifth grader at P.S. 218 in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. Her story is called “Playing with the Bees” and it was published through Think It Ink It Publishing, a group that provides professionally illustrated books so children can write their own stories to go with the pictures. Parents and children can have these books self-published. For more information on the company, see www.thinkitinkitpublishing.com . The story book is a pretty book of illustrations of a child in a tent, and then watching bees, and so on, but the story is all by Aminata.

Aminata herself is a former Headstart student. Dr. Alice Wilder, a founder of Think It Ink It, met Aminata while doing research on which illustrations to use to stimulate children to write books, working with kids at the WHEDCO after-school program.
Aminata’s story telling talent stood out. Dr. Wild stated that “our books are a great inspiration and creative writing tool, particularly for children who find writing challenging. Once they see the pictures in our story books, they are often motivated to write and some children, like Aminata, are producing wonderful stories.” Aminata’s mother spoke briefly, as did Aminata’s aunt, who came to the event all the way from California. For the afternoon program, first Aminata sat at a table outside the room and both sold and signed copies of her book, and she was also photographed by local press. Then there was a program honoring her, for the current students of Headstart. The program was opened by Ms. Carol Gaskill, director of the Headstart Program and Aminata’s current teachers also spoke. Her teacher Ms. Campbell said that “she always has a story. When her mommy was pregnant, she had a story about the baby. Aminata is always eager to learn,” and also helps calm down other students when they become restless. Aminata and her family are from Gambia in West Africa. She helps translate what teachers say into her native language for other children in her class from the Gambia area. Aminata is thinking about writing another book, this one possibly in Spanish. She speaks three languages, English, Spanish and her native language Soninke. She is planning to be a teacher when she grows up, and now would like to be an author as well.

The Family Preservation Center (FPC), the host of the event, aims to strengthen families. The FPC integrates services including immigration services, comprehensive case management, job readiness and training, housing placement, early childhood services, (Head Start, Child Care, and Universal Pre-K), WIC, and an array of youth and community development programs.